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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29660472">Fourfold Shadow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelightofmorning/pseuds/thelightofmorning'>thelightofmorning</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gift Fics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Crimes &amp; Criminals, Gallus Lives!, Gift Fic, Multi, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, everyone is poly</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:35:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,058</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29660472</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelightofmorning/pseuds/thelightofmorning</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Irkand Aurelius finds more than he expected when Gallus recruits him at Cloud Ruler Temple. Three more somethings. And the course of the Thieves' Guild is changed forever.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gallus Desidenius/Karliah/Vex/Original Male Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gift Fics [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179593</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Fourfold Shadow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/HopeStoryteller/gifts">HopeStoryteller</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks for reading and reviewing. Trigger warning for death, violence and criminal acts. Gift for a friend.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Gallus closed his eyes, unable to face the glee in Mercer Frey’s face as Chillrend descended. He knew it was a trap but he prayed his sacrifice would give Karliah the clues to-</p><p>            The renegade Nightingale made a choked noise followed by a death rattle and Gallus opened his eyes cautiously. A pair of blunt-ended shortswords made from the strange greyish-brown metal Irkand swore was dragonbone and ebony protruded from Frey’s chest, reddened, and a bloody froth spilt from the Breton’s lips. What was Nightingale armour compared to weapons that could part ebony chain like silk in the hands of the Blades’ most feared assassin? Nothing, it seemed.</p><p>            “You forbade Karliah from following you,” Irkand said mildly as he pulled the shortswords from Mercer’s body and then neatly decapitated him with the crossed weapons. “You said nothing about me and Vex.”</p><p>            Gallus found a shocked laugh as the infiltrator emerged from the shadows, healing scrolls and potions in hand. “I’ll never hear the end of this, will I?”</p><p>            “No. For once, we were the sensible pair.” Irkand hunkered down beside Gallus after wiping his blades on Mercer’s cloak. “So you serve Nocturnal. I suspected, given your prodigious luck and Karliah’s stealth abilities. Mercer was one too?”</p><p>            “Yes,” Gallus admitted. “Did you want to be one?”</p><p>            Irkand shook his head. “Too many friends waiting for me in Heaven’s Reach.”</p><p>            As Vex tended to his wounds, Gallus recalled the recruitment of the Blade from the smoking ruins of Cloud Ruler Temple just after he murdered the Thalmor Elenwen. Whatever goodwill garnered from the defeat of Naarifin during the Battle of the Red Ring was lost when those shortswords spilt out the Altmer’s life. Irkand was silent, deadly and intense, poor with people but a shadow with his weapons. A bloody shadow. Only a long-standing rivalry with his brother had probably kept him out of the Brotherhood.</p><p>            “Why did you follow me?” he wheezed.</p><p>            Irkand’s expression was stony. “Why wouldn’t I?”</p><p>            “He loves you, idiot!” Vex snapped, bandaging the wound. “That’s if you live long enough after Karliah doesn’t kill you for being Tamriel’s prize moron!”</p><p>            “You have a big mouth, Vex,” Irkand said flatly.</p><p>            “And you’re nearly as big an idiot as Gallus,” retorted the albino Imperial. “You don’t think we know about your little squabble with Rustem? Get over Delphine, dumbass, and get on with your life.”</p><p>            “Vex, giving practical advice,” Karliah observed as she entered the inner chamber of Snow Veil Sanctum. “I think we should let her become the third Nightingale. Irkand won’t, much as we love him.”</p><p>            “One Daedric Prince occasionally meddling in my life is quite enough,” Irkand countered. “Two is asking for trouble.”</p><p>            Gallus allowed himself to be helped up by Vex, who then promptly swore at him, describing his ancestry, personal hygiene and probable descendants in bovine and simian terms.</p><p>            “You forgot the porcine,” Irkand suggested when her tirade was done.</p><p>            Vex turned on him and the Akaviri phrases she used were too vile for Gallus to even want to translate, even from his withered knowledge of the language.</p><p>            “Sarcasm and curses concealing affection. How can you chide Gallus for missing Irkand’s feelings when you’re hiding your own,” Karliah chided.</p><p>            “Fuck you!” Vex swore.</p><p>            “I don’t get any elaborate curses invoking the four standards of profanity, vulgarity, blasphemy and obscenity?” Karliah asked amusedly. “I think I’m touched.”</p><p>            Vex reddened dangerously and Gallus prepared for the onslaught. But there was only a heavy sigh.</p><p>            “I love all of you fucking idiots and it’s obvious I’m the only one with a working brain around here,” Vex said irritably. “Gallus orders Karliah to stay behind while walking into a trap, Karliah decides to <em>obey</em> him and Irkand blithely follows them without <em>alerting the fucking Guild!</em> Brynjolf, Delvin and Glover are left in charge. Think about that for a moment.”</p><p>            Gallus blinked. “You… love…”</p><p>            “You never told me,” Irkand said softly.</p><p>            “What’s the point? I’m attracted to morons!” Vex threw up her hands as Karliah took over supporting Gallus. “What now?”</p><p>            “We return the Skeleton Key to the Twilight Sepulchre, get you inducted as a Nightingale and then…” Gallus took a deep breath. “We have a long talk.”</p><p>            “You and I will handle the Guild,” Irkand said mildly. “Karliah and Vex can handle this Sepulchre.”</p><p>            “Is anyone going to discuss my confession here?” Vex demanded.</p><p>            “You’re attracted to morons,” Irkand said with a shrug. “For my part, I seem to have a penchant for strong women and clever men.”</p><p>            “One way to rebel against Arius,” Gallus chuckled.</p><p>            Karliah exchanged glances with Gallus. They’d considered Mercer Frey as a potential third partner in their relationship but his greed turned them off. He’d never been satisfied. But Vex’s blatant admission and Irkand’s implied confession…</p><p>            “I swing like a shop-sign,” Karliah finally said.</p><p>            “You creak in the wind?” Irkand asked confusedly.</p><p>            Vex rolled her eyes. “She’s bisexual, dumbass.”</p><p>            “So am I,” Gallus admitted. “We’d thought about inviting a third party into the relationship… but why not two more?”</p><p>            Vex was speechless but Irkand gave a slow smile. “As you say,” he said. “One way to rebel against Arius.”</p><p>            “You need therapy, Irkand. Should I schedule you an appointment at the Benevolence of Mara?” Karliah asked dryly.</p><p>            “<em>Please.</em> The poor priest would drop dead from the shock of counselling me,” Irkand said wryly. “But I’ve been looking for something for a long time. I think I’ve found it here.”</p><p>            Vex finally found her words. “As I said, I’m the only one with a working brain around here, so why not?”</p><p>            Karliah smiled. “I’ll speak to the priest of Azura. Marriages between multiple partners isn’t unknown in Morrowind because of the Three Good Daedra.”</p><p>            “Marriage?” Irkand blurted.</p><p>            “Yes, marriage. I’d gone to buy Gallus a present but…”</p><p>            “Buy?” Vex demanded. “Why not steal it?”</p><p>            Karliah looked shocked and even horrified. “You want me to steal wedding rings?!”</p><p>            “We’re Thieves, dammit. What?” Vex looked confused as Irkand began to laugh.</p><p>            Gallus smiled and let them help him out of the tomb. “Steal the money and buy the rings. Best of both worlds.”</p><p>            “I see why you’re the Guildmaster,” Irkand observed.</p><p>            “It’s an ugly job,” he grinned. “But someone has to do it. Like marrying you three.”</p><p>            Vex found her words again and they were obscene ones. Everyone else laughed. It would be okay.</p>
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